Uington



(No Model.)

H. H. WADDINGTON.

LAWN TENNIS BALL. No. 398,558. Patented Feb. 26, 1889.

WITNESSES A TTOHNEY? UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY H. lVADDINGTON, OF MANCHESTER, COUNTY OF LANCASTER, ENGLAND. V

LAWN-TENNIS BALL.

SPECIFXCATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 398,558, dated February 26, 1889. Application filed October 16, 1888 Serial No. 288,256. No model.) Patented in England October 21, 1387, No. 14,300.

To (LZZ 1071,0712 it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY HERBERT WAT n1NGTON,a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at the city of Manchester,

county of Lancaster, England, have invented f a new and useful Improvement in the lllanu- I facture of Lawn-Tennis Balls, patented to me in Great Britain by Letters Patent No. 14,300, dated October 21, 1887,) of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawii'igs, is a full, clear, and accurate description.

The object of my invention is to obviate the projecting ridge caused by the seam or seams produced by the sewing together of the edges of the cover, so as to manufacture a finished ball in the form of a perfect sphere.

The nature of my said invention will'be readily understood on reference to the annexed sheet of drawings and the following explanation thereof.

Figures l and 2 on the drawings represent i two views of the exterior of my improved ball before covering, the form selected an example being that in which the cover is made of two pieces somewhatin the form of afigurc 8. Fig. 3 is a section showing the cover with the seams sewed and forming a projecting ridge, and Fig. lis a similar view showii'lg the finished ball.

According to my invention I mold the india-rubber ball a u in the ordinar way; but

the mold, instead of being a perfect hollow sphere as heretofore has a projection formedin theinside thereof, following the line of the sewed seam or seams of the cover, which is afterward applied to the ball. This project ing line in the mold forms a corresponding groove or grooves, b I), (see Figs. 1 and 2,) on the india-rubber ball a a, and the edges of the cloth or other cover, 0 0, when sewed 011, as shown at Fig. 3, meet above the middle of this groove and, being drawn tightly together in sewing, form a raised scam, as at cl (1. ,The ball is then placed in a spherical mold, and, being submitted to pressure, the raised scam (Z (Z is pressed into the groove 1) b, as shown at Fig. l, and there is in consequence no perceptible ridge on the finished ball, which is a perfect sphere, and the stitches of the seam thereby drawn below the general surface are also protected from wear and tear.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is The improvement in the manufacture of lawn -tcnnis balls, consisting in molding in the surface of the india-rnbber ball a groove or grooves corresponding in form with the seam or seams, and after sewing on the cover, as usual, pressing the scam or scams into the said groove or grooves, so as to produce a ball 1 in the form of a perfect sphere and with the stitches below the surface, substantially as hereinbefore described, and illustrated by the drawings annexed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this let day of October, 1888.

.I l ARRY ll. WADDIXGTON.

In presence of- HENRY ELroN,

.Fallowfield, JIM/(cheater. CHARLES Coors,

Cambridge St, jlfltllcl'leo'l el. 

